Chapter 5

The blood was more delicious then I could ever have imagined. The girl ran dry before I was satisfied. Everything went so fast, and before I knew I bit down another throat. When I finished my third body, I wasn't hungry, or thirsty anymore. I looked up to see if the others were done. Everyone was staring at me with big eyes. I realized I had acted like a beast, growling and snarling. My beautiful dress was ruined; there was blood everywere around me. I looked at Alec, still clean and tidy, for an explanation why everyone was staring.

"I can see you enjoyed your meal," he said.

"Quite." I was very embarrased. But then I heard some noise behind me and I turned around. Sophie had finished her last body, pushing it away. Her dress was bloody all over too. I hadn't realized she was a newborn, only a few months old. She looked at me and smiled. I smiled back. I knew we were going to be great friends.

"Don't worry, I think we have the same size," Sophie said. "Tomorrow we will get you some more clothes. Take this one, it will look nice on you." She gave me one of her dresses. It was black, and strapless. The hem was beaded with purple glass beads. It looked wonderful, but I was glad my cape was still intact.

"Where do we get clothes? I suppose we're not going to shop," I asked. Sophie was busy trying to wash the blood off our clothes. She was wearing a new outfit too; grey knit top and a black velours skirt. Her brown curly hair bounced on her hat.

"Did you know Marcus is a huge fashionista? He has the whole basement stocked with the most beautiful stuff you can ever imagine. And Aro loves jewels. You should see his collection. And we may all take what we want! Isn't that great? A mall in your own home, and you don't even have to pay!" I could see she was really excited. I was too; I couldn't wait to go shopping tomorrow. My love for fashion was growing.

"That's just awesome. But I really need to go to sleep now, I've been awake since eleven," I said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I totally forgot that you sleep! Let me bring you to your room, I don't think Alec remembers how to tuck someone in," Sophie said. We walked to our room, and I tried very hard to remember how I came there, so I could find her tomorrow.

We came in my room, and I pulled on my pajamas. While I brushed my teeth, Sophie told me about her gift.

"I was brought in here as food for the guards. Heidi had leaded our schoolclass to the headquarters. I was walking just behind her, so I was the first to come in the hall. Aro spotted me, and took my hand. He was very surprised, because in every thought I had ever had, he couldn't find me. Like when you film something, and you don't see the cameraman. He knew I had to be something special when I was turned, and so he did. When the burning was over, Aro tried to find out what I was. I have an invisibility shield, which means that I am mentally invisible. Aro made me a Volturi guard, and now I'm a full time shield for them," Sophie told me.

"Alice can't have visions from the Volturi anymore. How can I let them know I'm fine?" I asked Sophie.

"You could write a letter. I did that too for my parents. When I was turned, I had to let my family know I wouldn't come back. I wrote a letter on the hospital's name. The story was that I died from a car accident, and that my body was too fractured to look at. Then I arranged a funeral," Sophie said in a sad voice.

"Do you miss your parents?" I asked. Sophie seemed surprised for me to ask.

"Yes, I miss them every day. But I'm happy here, with my new family. I wish I could see them sometimes." She sighed, and sat on my bed. Then she tapped the space next to her. "Honey, you have to go to sleep now. We will practice fighting tomorrow together, and you need your energy."

"I thought I would stay here temporary. Didn't know I will have to learn how to fight," I said. But as soon as she reminded me of the warm, soft bed, I was too tired to complain about it. I went in my bed, and Sophie gave me a short hug. "Goodnight, Dawn. I'm glad I finally have a friend."

"Goodnight. Tell me tomorrow what I missed while I was asleep!"

I was sleeping before she was out of my room.

Alec woke me up the next morning. I hadn't expected him to come in my room while I slept, but I loved the way he woke me up.

"Dawn, there's food for you! Real food! You have to taste it, my sister made it. It's our mother's recipe, but we don't know if the taste is good." Italians, through and through… A real Italian would always stick to his mother's recipe for pasta. I'd never had it as breakfast, but I liked pasta.

"Wow, smells great!" I said. Alec had given me a plate of fresh pasta and a tomato sauce. His sister, Jane, was standing quietly on the outside of my room. I had hoped she would come in so I could thank her for the food, but unfortunately she didn't. I twisted a 'tagiatelle' around my fork and dipped it in the red sauce. It was very typical the sauce and pasta wasn't mixed.

"It tastes wonderful!" I said. "Is that ginger? And a little cinnamon?"

"Exactly. And do you taste the red pepper?" Alec asked.

"Yes, this is just lovely. Without a doubt the best pasta I ever had!" I said. I wasn't sure if it was; Carlisle had made wonderful pasta before. But it tasted real good, and I wanted Jane to like me.

"Thank you. I will tell Sophie you're awake now. She's been waiting for you all night," Alec said. He walked away, and took Jane's hand. Only a few seconds later Sophie was sitting on my bed.

"Hello sweetheart! How was your night?" she asked.

"Great, thanks. The bed is so soft, I really want one when I go back home," I said. When I said 'when I go back home', Sophie looked a little sad.

"I hope you stay a little longer. I really like you, and you're my first friend in here. We have the same problems; the blood and the fighting. But now I see you have another problem; your hair looks just awful," she said. Damn, hadn't checked that since Alec woke me up. Maybe that's why Jane looked at me so weird… "Wait here, I'm gonna get a brush and stuff and something for you to wear." And gone she was, with her vampire speed

Luckily, she was back whitin seconds. "Sit on your desk chair, and let me do your hair and makeup." While she did her thing, we talked about my life at home.

"So you've never been to school?" Sophie asked.

"No, my parents thought it was too dangerous. Mom did school only five times, and Dad seven times. But they said I wouldn't learn anything new, because I had read all their schoolbooks. And there could have been Volturi spies at schools," I said.

"I understand. If the Volturi had seen you before they knew what you are, they would kill you. I'm so glad they first let you tell your story. It's good to know what happens when someone like your mother and someone like your father get a baby. Not that I think it will ever happen again…"

"No, I don't think so… Shifters seem to have a natural aversion of vampires. We met a group of Werepanthers some time ago. I was hunting with my father when we met them. It was good the vampires weren't there, 'cause they would have been dead."

"Wait, there's more than only werewolfs? Did you say Were-panthers?" Sophie said.

"Sure, and even more! There's a whole shifter community. Most shifters call themselves like Were-, and then their animal of shifting. Werecat, Werefox, Weretiger…"

"Oh my God, that's totally awesome! Is there a large polulation?" Sophie was very interested.

"Quite, many of the Native Americans were Shifters. Most of them are harmless, only the big predators can be dangerous. Like the wolves. But they're not that stupid to attack."

"Please tell me more about your father's nature some other time. We first need to go shopping…"

Sophie had lead me to the basement.

"Are you sure we can enter this without permission? I mean, this must be Marcus' most dearly place."

"I'm sure he's okay with it. If we wear the clothes, he doesn't have to go downstairs all the time to look at them. Same with Aro."

The basement was one big mall. Rows and rows of dresses and skirts and capes were in it. Bags, shoes, scarves, I just couldn't believe my eyes. My fashion style had changed completely now; I would never wear jeans and t-shirts again. When Sophie and I had picked everyting I liked, we went back to my room to put it in my wardrobe.

"Alice will be proud of me," I said

"I know she will. Do you miss her a lot?"

"Yes, pretty much. I think I will write her a letter soon. And my mother too, and Rose, and Jasper…"

"Let me help you," Sophie said. Together we started writing.